I am now over halfway done with my time here in France. I have been here just over four months, and I have a little over three months left. The beginning of 2013 has been rather tough, I think for the following three reasons: first off, I have been out of money for this entire month. I spent more than planned on my Christmas adventures, and after I paid my rent for the month and realized that the CAF (French housing help for people below the poverty line--yes, that's me) was not going to come through for at least another month (I came home to a nice letter requesting more documents that I've already sent them...yay French bureaucracy), I was left with barely enough to cover my groceries. And then my cell phone plan ran out. And the French sale season started and I couldn't help myself (what have you done to me, Harriet and Amy??). So, I have been penniless for the last two weeks, and that makes everything a little hard. Pay day should be any day now, and then I will be able to breathe again... and buy food.
Second reason: I'm bored. I work a total of three hours per day, plus time to walk to school and back, recess, and my three-hour lunch break. I do the same lesson for two weeks in a row. It takes me between one and two hours to create my lesson plan for each two week period. I have way too much time on my hands, which I generally spend doing social things, like hanging out with friends, both physically and virtually, or hermit-like things, like watching TV episodes and reading and killing the occasional cockroach. Going grocery shopping is a huge event in my week because it gives me something important to do. After my life of constant studying at Olaf, I've had the realization that the general ennui that I've been suffering of late has a lot to do with the fact that I have nothing pressing to do (much to my horror). And of course, when you have nothing pressing to do, you just become more lazy and listless. So, time to snap out of that. I'm looking into taking an online class to get an ESL teaching certification, so that will give me something to focus on, and, failing that, I'm going to start assigning myself reading. Oh, and I need to get my butt in gear for this summer and finding a job in the US, so there's that monster task ahead, too. Game on.
Lastly, since I am past the halfway point, I'm starting to think about endings and goodbyes. Saying goodbye is a part of living abroad: you say goodbye to your friends and family, and then you say goodbye to your new friends and extended family in the new place you've discovered. There's a certain amount of risk involved in life abroad, beyond culture shock and the stuff for which my Dad made me pack an army-approved assault flashlight. You have to open yourself to falling in love with the place you're in, with the people you meet, and the joy you find there. You have to build a life with the full knowledge that one day you will have to leave it behind you.
I recently found out that I am not able to apply to be a language assistant through TAPIF for two years in a row, so basically I cannot return next year unless I find another job willing to support a work visa for me (chances are slim). So, there's a strong chance I'll be in the US next year, drowning in a sucky job market and struggling to survive in a society much more hostile to the needs of young adults like myself. My general ennui of late means that returning to my family and friends and a ready supply of Mexican food is really appealing in a lot of ways, but I know that come this June, I'll be missing my life here--my new friends, my little apartment next to the château, my students, train travel--and would willingly trade my burrito for a freshly-baked baguette and a slice of Camembert cheese. And cheap, delicious wine, of course.
Some good news: I think I'm starting to really figure this teaching thing out. I've now had nearly four weeks of successful lessons. We've done body parts, which was a huge hit, and now my unit on feelings is going over just as well. Key to success: activities. I have a song and two different games, plus a worksheet so they have something to bring in their focus after a high-energy activity. I'm connecting well with them and with the teachers, which makes me feel like a real teacher myself.
In the travel realm, Amy, Harriet, Suzie, and I will be heading to Chartres the weekend after next for a little get-away. Chartres Cathedral has been on my list ever since we studied it in Great Con freshman year, so I'm excited to see the stained glass and walk the labyrinth. The town itself is also supposed to be quite nice. Then my friend Adel is coming to visit, and we're going to Germany for some adventures. My friend Hannah will also be visiting around Easter, so we will be hitting up Paris and some castles. And, most exciting, my parents and Auntie Anita will be coming to visit me in May, and it looks like we'll be checking out England and doing a little tour of France before I fly home. A potential trip to Nice and Monaco at the end of April is in the works with Amy and Harriet, but I'll have to see how my funds hold out.
Alright, time for bed. Bonne nuit!
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